


mother mercury (look what they have done to me)

by LadyAllana



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't worry, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Mother Hen Freddie, Mpreg, This is so soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 15:02:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17706506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAllana/pseuds/LadyAllana
Summary: Phone calls this late at night are never a good sign, phone calls this late at night from Roger are less so.-Modern AU where Brian is abroad for educational purposes and Freddie has to deal with the mess back at home.





	mother mercury (look what they have done to me)

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: I didn't plan on writing this but I've been seeing many mpreg stories lately and wanted to try it out.  
> -also super random side note: Freddie is an alpha who is into alphas in this, not really relevant to the plot but he is fabulous.
> 
> (!)Trigger Warning: Blood and allusions to miscarriage. I'm so sorry.

 

Phone calls this late at night are never a good sign.

 

            Freddie moans into the pillow, taking the iPhone with the broken screen from the nightstand and pulling on the already dead cable in the process. Whoever this is, they will pay for a new charger if they want to talk with him the next time, Freddie has no money for this. He tries to open his eyes to look at the bright screen without blinding himself and sits up when he manages to read the name on it.

 

            Phone calls this late at night from Roger are less so.

 

            Roger never ever phones anybody, Freddie doesn’t even think he has a minute plan for it. He does all his communication through WhatsApp or Messenger or sliding into people’s DMs. He really isn’t sure if he has heard Roger on the phone before if he has it must have been a voice message or a recording of a song or something.

 

            He brings the phone close to his ear with great effort, hair all over his face and in his nose. He just wants to sleep, damn it.

 

            _“-reddie? Can you come and pick me up?”_

 

            Roger’s voice cracks on each syllable, he is crying hard as he whispers. Then, before Freddie has the chance to respond and ask what the hell is going on, he hangs up the phone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

            He arrives to the flat Roger and Brian share near the campus in less than 10 minutes, the cold winter chill and the worry that keeps growing in his chest has him wide awake by then. It’s only when his teeth start clacking that he realizes he didn’t bring a coat with him. He feels responsible for Roger, having promised Brian to take care of him when Brian left for Norway for a research project almost three months ago. The omega was insistent that he could stay at home alone during that time, his heat was not for a good three months yet and Brian was due to come in the next two weeks. And Freddie was quite proud of him, really.  He didn’t have the faith Brian had in him to be alone for so long, not that he would call Roger too clingy but he tended to get anxious and angry, though that had gotten better since the last two years he and Brian had spent as a bonded pair and Roger had moved in with him instead of living in the cupboard-sized flat he shared with Freddie at Kensington Market, one Freddie still regretfully continued to live in to cut back on some expenses and get himself a real proper baby grand.

 

            He shuffles up the stairs, trying to warm himself up somehow and knocks twice.

 

            Roger opens the door immediately, so quick that Freddie thinks he might have been just waiting there. The first thing Freddie notices is that he looks whiter than he has ever seen him before, swallowed by one of Brian’s ugly winter sweaters. His eyes are bloodshot and frantic, he is still crying. Freddie goes to hug him instantly because fuck gender rules and conducts but stops short when he looks down instinctively.

 

 Roger is always in some Adidas jogger or the other, that is nothing new. He has even seen him wear this old white pair to bed before he thinks, on their brief but fruitful summer tour which led them to a couple of new cities Freddie had never seen before.

 

What he has never noticed before though, clearly visible through the soft white material, is blood dripping down his legs.

 

            “Oh…” Freddie says, not knowing anything about anything at the moment.

 

            Roger collapses into his arms then, trying to scent his neck immediately lest he starts hyperventilating. Not sure what he is supposed to do, Freddie lets him so he can calm down a bit. He might not be able to help as much as Brian, but he is still someone Roger trusts and depends upon for protection in the most primal sense.

 

            “Ok, ok,” he says, gulping down bile. “Let’s get you cleaned up a bit and we can drive to the hospital.”

 

            One arm still around Roger’s back, he fishes the car keys from the ashtray they keep by the door and puts it into his back pocket.

 

            He gets a pair of black sweatpants for Roger from the bedroom, acting out automatically, not thinking about anything besides being fast and efficient. He drags Roger to the bathroom, not trying to react to the blood spots on the floor or the soiled toilet paper scattered around but gets a towel from the rack and puts it under warm water so he can clean up Roger’s legs. They don’t make eye contact as he helps Roger with clean underwear, some pads and the new pair of sweats, both ignoring the fact that they are shaking uncontrollably. He grabs another towel to put on the car seat and the whole thing maybe takes five minutes, five minutes entirely too long and filled with terror until Freddie can assist him down to Roger’s old but precious sports car.  

 

* * *

 

 

            He looks at the screen and back to the blond who is lying almost motionless on the table. Roger has never been overly thin, but now Freddie can see his ribs, stomach sunken in. And there, way down low rests a bump that Freddie can swear that was not there two days ago when he saw Roger last. But Roger always wears shirts two sizes bigger to make a fashion statement and it’s not like Freddie has had a chance to see him shirtless in the middle of December.

 

            Roger’s jaw is set, upper lip trembling.

 

            He refuses to meet Freddie’s eyes.

 

            He _knew,_ Freddie thinks, _he knew for a while at least._

 

            He is a fucking biologist of course he knew.

 

            Why did he not tell them? And what about Brian?

 

            Freddie is suddenly angry but is unable to speak. The doctor puts some lube looking thing on Roger’s stomach which makes Roger flinch and brings the stick close. Roger’s hands are clasped tightly on the plastic sheets, knuckles white under the many bruises his hands always support from aggressive drumming.

 

There is a tense silence while the doctor carefully looks at the screen where no one is breathing, then suddenly the room is filled with loud noises, much like the ones Roger makes on the table with chopsticks whenever someone takes too long to choose what kind of sushi they want.

 

            Roger lets out a loud sniffle, then starts laughing.

 

            “Oh thank God, thank God…”

 

            “The heart beats are strong. The bleeding must have been due to stress, it is slowing down right?”

 

            But Roger seems to be not listening, his laughter turning into big wobbly tears on his cheeks within seconds. Freddie reaches and takes his hand because though he might be shocked, he is not an arsehole.

 

            “Well, we will get you to stay overnight just in case- “she looks at Freddie, a soft sympathetic smile on her face. It must be obvious to her that they are not bonded. “Is there anyone you would like us to call?”

 

            Roger calms himself down a bit, his hand still squeezing Freddie’s extremely tight but perhaps now because he is afraid that they will take Freddie away from him. Most places, it is frowned upon for a bonded omega to be so close with another alpha, though times are changing, and genders are not so restricting anymore. If Roger wants him to be here, they surely can’t kick him out just because he is not Roger’s alpha.

 

 “Oh, no, no. He is just abroad, is all.”

 

            The doctor gives them a warm smile and says that a nurse will come to accompany them to a room soon and that Roger should get as much as rest as he can. The tension in the air clears as she exits the examination room. Freddie realizes maybe the question was because they see many omegas here in difficult situations and that the doctor was just making sure Roger was comfortable being here, alone, with an alpha who wasn’t his mate.

 

            Freddie continues to be as close as possible as Roger cleans his stomach up with some tissue and puts the oversized sweater back on, the bump once again swallowed by the material. Freddie will need to get him to eat more somehow.

 

            Roger is watching him now, afraid of Freddie’s reaction.

 

            A middle-aged nurse knocks on the open door, saying that she is ready to take them upstairs whenever Roger is feeling ready, she has a wheelchair at hand, a hospital procedure that Roger won’t disagree with, at least this once.

 

            Freddie squeezes Roger’s hand.

 

            “Let’s get you to bed now, we can speak in the morning.”

 

* * *

 

 

            Roger sleeps restlessly, but he is at least sleeping without the help of medication. Freddie sits on the armchair near the window, knees pulled up to his chest. A nurse brings him two blankets, he puts one on Roger’s legs just in case and puts the other across his own shoulders, trying to keep warm.  It’s not cold inside the room but he has probably caught a chill already.

 

            Freddie texts John to call him when he wakes up, wording it carefully so that it doesn’t alarm him. A voice inside his head keeps urging him to call Brian, but he knows it’s not really his call to make. Whatever conversation that needs to be had is between Roger and Brian, he has no business butting into their relationship, since the doctor has assured them that no one is in danger.

 

            She had said heartbeats, hadn’t she?

 

            Freddie finds himself smiling a bit, that explains why Roger suddenly has a very noticeable bump in such a short time. He is probably just starting to show.

 

            He must have fallen asleep there because sometime later he wakes up to his phone buzzing, his neck cramped and body aching all over. He really needs to sign up for those Pilates classes. It’s a bit after eight and Roger seems to have settled down, blond hair all over the place, one hand sitting low on his stomach. Freddie hastily leaves the room, so he doesn’t wake him up. Closing the door behind him carefully, he answers the phone.

 

            “We don’t have practice today Freddie,” is the first thing John says, moaning and still half asleep. To his credit, they all had finals this week -besides Freddie who works fulltime at a store at the moment where Roger part times, and Brian who is writing this huge thesis and is neck deep in research in some observatory where it’s as cold as a penguin’s ass-. They still keep up with the band practice, all three filling in with the guitars here and there though John and Roger are much better at it than he is. Brian joins them via Skype when they can sort out the time difference, which isn’t much but they are trying. They hope to go into the studio to record some stuff when Brian comes back, so they need to keep up. Though, if Freddie had known about this, he would have never forced Roger to come between his coursework, finals and the inventory that kept them busy this last week at the shop.

 

            “Is Veronica there?” Freddie asks, ignoring John. “No need to panic, but Roger is in the hospital.”

 

            “What?! Why?”

 

            Indeed, she is there, Freddie can hear her in the background. John puts Freddie on the speaker instead of repeating whatever he says to his girlfriend.

 

            “Hi Ronnie,” Freddie says, trying to keep his voice a bit cheerier not to freak those two out. “As I said, there is no need to worry but I brought him in last night. He is sleeping so there is no need for you guys to come quite yet.”

 

            “Is he OK?” Ronnie asks, while John says, “What happened?” at the same time.

 

            “He is alright sweetie. I will call once I speak to the doctor again and we can meet in the afternoon wherever depending on how he is doing.”

           

            He calls his boss next, saying that he won’t be able to come today because of a family emergency. Yeah, Roger is not available either, they are really sorry. While he is talking, he goes outside to grab a smoke. He will also need to give that up soon.

 

* * *

 

 

            Roger wakes up a bit panicked and disoriented, which is to be expected. Freddie makes sure to keep a heavy hand on his shoulder so that he doesn’t get up at once or starts trashing.

 

            “You’re fine, dearie, you all are just fine.”

 

            Roger lets out a deep breath, then lets Freddie help him up and to the bathroom so that he can change the pad and relieve himself. He seems calmer once he comes back and lies down, from that Freddie surmises that the bleeding has indeed stopped.

 

            A caretaker comes in with their breakfast, he tells them that Roger is scheduled for another ultrasound in an hour. Roger offers him nervous smiles and thank yous, his right hand protectively over his abdomen.

 

            They are left alone once again.

 

            Freddie is itching for some nicotine, he wonders if Roger feels the same.

 

* * *

 

 

            Roger is cleared to go home, but the doctor insists that he lays down and gets a night of good sleep and pays extra attention to what he eats. Roger admits that it’s been hard keeping anything down with the morning sickness and the heavy tempo of the finals week hasn’t really helped with things.

 

            It’s a blessing that his exams are over, but the doctor still offers to write a note to the school board for that one class that he still must attend and deliver his term project. Apparently, it’s a law given right for special cases such as this, _when there is a danger of miscarriage,_ though no one says that particular term out loud, and as long as Roger can email the project to his professor or someone delivers it to him for Roger, it shouldn’t affect his grade.

 

 

            So, Freddie huddles him into the passenger seat to bring him back home and text John to come with some soup and Veronica approved healthy food. He puts his phone in his back pocket, John might be wondering what the hell is going on, but he will do what Freddie asks of him.

 

            He helps Roger up the stairs, something he can see that Roger both hates passionately -he has never liked depending on anyone- and appreciates greatly because his legs still feel shaky at best. He sets up the couch for him and makes him sit down, kissing him on the forehead, and leaves him there with a bunch of blankets and a warm cup of tea, some comedy show playing silently on the TV.

 

            Freddie is glad that Brian is naturally more inclined to live in a cleaner habitat than both of them, which means that they have proper cleaning supplies at home. He is just about to start cleaning up when the bell rings.

 

            John and Veronica come stumbling in one after other, Veronica shushes her boyfriend as they come in, from the door they can see that Roger has dozed off on the couch covered by a mountain of blankets. Freddie welcomes them both, glad to see the paper bags in John’s hand.

 

            “Chicken noodle soup, some rice, and veggies,” John whispers, he takes his shoes off, about to go in the direction of the kitchen when Veronica makes him turn around.

 

            “Oh, Roger.”

 

            She looks at the plastic gloves on Freddie’s hands and then to the three little blood stains on the floor. There is a little spot on the right wall too he notices, those all have to disappear before Roger wakes up. “He is, ok, truly.”

 

            Veronica nods with a determined look on her face and starts putting her long red hair in a bun. “John, you can heat up lunch and Freddie and I will deal with this.”

 

            John seems a bit lost but follows her instructions anyway and goes to the little kitchen, walking on his toes not to make any noise while he passes Roger still sleeping on the sofa.

 

            He and Ronnie quickly make sure there is nothing in the hall that has escaped Freddie’s notice before going into the bathroom. Now that Veronica knows Roger is ok, she doesn’t seem much disturbed by the blood, certainly not as much as he is feeling. She quickly makes Freddie bag the clothes and the towels and throw them out. They can get them some new towels for Christmas she says, saving her the time to find the perfect gift. By the time Freddie is back she has already dealt with the toilet bowl and the vomit stains and is busy cleaning up the sink and wiping the mirror. There is a lavender smell surrounding the air, somehow the lack of evidence from what happened to Roger last night makes Freddie feel even guiltier that he wasn’t there with him.

 

            Veronica smiles at him, one hand going to his cheek, her long nails scratching the little beard he has going on because he had no time to shave today, “Not your fault, Fred.”

 

            She looks at the mirror and ties her hair again quickly, then ushers them out of the bathroom, closing the lights and the door. Closing this chapter, both praying Roger will never live through something like that ever again.

 

            “You all done, honey?”

 

            John hums, putting the plates and bowls down on the small table next to the TV. Veronica shuts it down and sits down next to Roger’s warm and pliant body.

 

            “Roggie, wake up.”

 

            Roger blinks, then rubs his eyes in an attempt to wake up properly. Ronnie gets his glasses from the table and puts them on carefully so he can focus on her face.

 

            “Hi.”

 

            “Hi”, she smiles. “We bring food and entertainment.” 

 

            John takes Brian’s ukulele from the shelf, pink with orange and red flowers painted on it, and paws at it like he has never played a stringed instrument before. Roger laughs at him and at that moment looks like quite the innocent child himself. Though he is merely 3 years older than Roger and hasn’t made the slightest attempt to get his shit together yet, Freddie can’t help but feel suddenly responsible for this lot.

 

            This wasn’t what he had signed up for when he had begged Brian and Roger to continue with their band and let Freddie join them to make something amazing out of it. They were supposed to be messy and crazy and if they managed that hard enough, finally famous. Not having Brian here the last few months has been hard on him for various reasons, not only because of Roger but because Brian is quite the grounding presence in his life as well. Having hardly slept at all, Freddie suddenly feels drained, now that there are two more eyes in the room to check up on Roger’s wellbeing and he can start listening to his own body.

 

            John sits down on one of the old wooden chairs Roger and Freddie dragged all the way from shop to here when they first rented here, the ukulele still in his lap. Freddie takes the other one and drags it closer before sitting down, so they are in somewhat of a circle and Roger has nowhere to divert his eyes.

 

            “You gave Freddie quite the fright.”

 

            Roger looks at John with big blue innocent eyes, but as Freddie expected John doesn’t look angry or frustrated like how Freddie had reacted earlier, instead there is a calm smile on his face. Docile and comforting, though he is the youngest one of them all he has always managed to calm them by a single look, Freddie knows he can trust him with everything.

 

            But maybe not with Roger, not now.

 

            Not when he has promised Brian and failed him. It has nothing to do with John or trusting him, it’s just his own instincts battling within himself and the bitter taste of disappointment that hasn’t left his mouth since Roger’s call came last night.

 

            “He looks like a scared cat,” Veronica comments, not nearly as scared of Freddie’s reaction to such a comment as John would be. And well, he has seen his face in the mirror, he can’t really disagree. Freddie hasn’t realized how affected he really was by last night. It’s unlikely that he will ever forget what Roger looked like when he opened the door. At least he can be grateful that none of the others, especially Brian, didn’t see him like that, all bloodied and broken. And he is grateful, so very grateful to whatever gods that exist that everything is alright.

 

            Freddie would rather they talk now but he realizes that the food is getting cold. He hastily gives out the bowls from the table and gets some rice for himself. Just letting his mind shut down and eat for a while. He keeps one eye at Roger to make sure he is eating as well but Roger seems pretty shaken and if not determined by the last night's events to be at his best possible behavior. Is it because he is scared of Freddie’s reaction or because he is worried about the children, Freddie really isn’t sure. Perhaps, it’s both.

 

            Finally, after waiting long enough to make sure Roger has eaten a substantial amount, which involves peeling the already chipped polish of his nails, Freddie huffs, impatient.

 

            Veronica gets the bowl from Roger and puts it away with her own, an encouraging smile on her face. Freddie thinks John might be falling asleep next to him.

 

            “I’m pregnant.”

 

            Freddie would say duh, but he realizes that this must be the first time Roger has said the words out loud. They leave his mouth like a breeze, soft like a prayer. A soft smile blooms on his face.

 

            Freddie feels all the negative feelings melt again.

 

            Roger’s shoulders slump, his hands go to his belly unwittingly.

 

            And how can Freddie be angry with him, when relief is so evident on his face? Just last night Roger must have thought he had lost this forever, Freddie had certainly thought so as he ushered him to the hospital. He looks at his hands and he can still see Roger’s blood on them, haunting. How must Roger feel right now? He hangs onto that little bump, the undeniable proof that he hasn’t done something terribly wrong and ruined his chances at happiness.

 

            How can Freddie feel anything but completely and absolutely overjoyed for his friend?

           

            Veronica goes to hug him then, before Roger starts crying a river of tears and if John and Freddie eventually join them and they just spend the whole afternoon napping and listening to whatever song on the radio together instead of studying or working or composing…well, no one has to know.

 

* * *

 

 

            Sunday morning Freddie wakes up to wheezing sounds coming from the direction bathroom. He has had an ok night sleeping on the couch, though Roger has offered to share the bed he looked obviously uncomfortable about the idea of sleeping with another alpha and Freddie understands that. Instead, he stole Roger’s charger cable so he can actually use his phone to do other stuff besides phoning people now and spent a couple of hours silently watching makeup tutorials on YouTube, destressing.

 

            He was even thinking about making pancakes for breakfast because he saw this crazy Japanese recipe on insta that looked absolutely adorable but instead he finds himself on the floor flat on his ass, awakened by a cry.

 

            He is really scared for a moment and totally not equipped to deal with it. The bathroom door is open, which is why the sound was loud enough to wake him up. Roger is crouched over the toilet bowl, dry heaving. There are tears running down his cheeks again and still looks very tired, but his posture is relaxed as if this is something that happens to him regularly.

 

            _It’s just morning sickness,_ Freddie realizes with relief. He takes a hairband from the cabinet, they keep a handful of neon colors in a little box, and ties Roger’s hair up in a messy bun with a pink one. Then sitting next to him on the white tiles, he starts patting Roger’s back in what he hopes to be a comforting rhythm.

 

            He gets up and gets Roger a glass of water from the sink once the heaving stops, Roger accepts it with gratitude, looking a bit ashamed of the sweaty messy state he is in.

 

            “Sorry, been like this for a while,” he says as he drinks. “I didn’t mean to wake you up, but they love messing with my insides.”

 

            There is a fond smile on his face as he says this, as if he is not talking about throwing up daily, which Freddie is sure, must feel absolutely disgusting. Roger looks thin and frail and in desperate need of a good breakfast.

 

            Freddie shrugs, it’s not like he can know what pregnancy feels like. It still feels surreal to him that Roger is going to become a mother.

 

            “You get into the shower dear, I will make breakfast.”

 

            That fluffy recipe better work, Brian will kill him if he realizes Roger is wilting away before their eyes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

            “Rog, Brian is online.”

 

            Conveniently, Roger is hidden behind a drum set that keeps getting bigger monthly, -now that they have a bit of money -like he will be, but that’s not a joke that needs to be made this very moment. He admitted to Freddie earlier that he has hidden behind many things these last couple of weeks, using anything as an excuse not to use their Skype chats for sex. It’s actually very hard, Roger admitted to him shy but very frustrated at the same time, “because I feel like I can go at it all the time!” They have spent a lot of time in the last couple of days together, camping in Roger and Brian’s apartment, and not leaving unless they absolutely had to for work or school. They also had a lot of time to talk, now that he doesn’t keep this big secret bottled up inside anymore, Roger actually looks a lot happier. Freddie thinks he would be over the moon if he could also just admit it already to Brian and be done with it.

 

            _“He would have come back. I didn’t… don’t want that for him, to put his dreams on hold for me. And I don’t know… I thought I could tell him the next day, the next week, then it just… feels like too late now.”_

_“I reckon it’s not too late until these two pop out of you.”_

Finally drawn close to the depths of madness by the extended LOTR marathon and weirdly appropriate lyrics for a new song Freddie had in mind, Roger has managed to convince them to tag along to some studio time. After countless assurances that it’s only for brainstorming in a new environment and he won’t actually touch the drums, John and Freddie had relented.

“Hi, guys!” Brian says brightly, from his small dorm room that he (thankfully) shares with two other people. He looks tired but satisfied in the only way a good day’s work can make you feel and Freddie is really proud of him for working hard and following his dreams like this. And really, Brian supposedly did all the planning, scheduling to go a week later after the program had started, begging the professor there because it coincided with Roger’s heat. But his timing still ended up being really really awful. On one hand, it’s not his fault and Freddie has no right to be angry at him for something he doesn’t know about, on the other it’s totally his fault and how dare he not realize and come back this very second?!

 

            “Hiya, babe!” Roger waves, a lovely smile denting his cheeks, Freddie has finally managed to get him to eat properly, which is doing wonders all over in making him look more like an expecting person rather than a skeleton with a basketball attached to his front. He is too far away for the tired edges of it to be seen on the screen and all that reflects is a healthy glow. He doesn’t- can’t- move to get up, so Freddie hastily turns the screen to himself and starts telling Brian about this brand-new idea of his for an amazing, incredible, crazy rock song.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

            Later Brian calls him privately, worried after a tense conversation he had with Roger where Roger said he was too tired and wanted to sleep. _Not that I expect sex from him at every call, don’t misunderstand Freddie, I’m just worried he is sick or something._ Of course, Freddie knows that Roger is too tired these days and needs all the extra sleep he can get, it’s one of the reasons why he has taken to sleeping on their couch and snatching most of Roger’s morning shifts at the store. Now that he is visibly showing their boss had been quite understanding. But the Roger Brian knows and loves never goes to bed this early -which is to say a totally normal hour to sleep- and is almost never out of energy. What he doesn’t know of course is that Roger is trying to grow two new human beings inside of him.

 

“I think he is mad at me for some reason. For staying away too long? Not being attentive enough? I know I haven’t been the best partner…”

 

            Brian spiraling into depression will do nobody any good. Freddie is pretty sure he has started losing some hair and has half a mind to steal some of the prenatal vitamins Roger is taking.

 

            “Better not to push him, he is just lonely I suppose. Trying to hang in there.”

 

            Freddie tries to look thoughtful like he is not outright lying to one of his best friends for the other. Giving false information to a fellow alpha about his omega nonetheless doesn’t sit right, no matter how Freddie goes on and on about gender equality and LGBTQ community on daily basis. This just feels wrong, there should be no secrets kept between Brian and Roger. But it’s not his place to tell Brian anything, and it’s definitely not his place to cause Roger any more stress than he is already feeling. If anything happens to him or the children, Freddie will never forgive himself.

 

            “-maybe it would be better to give him some space. You’re coming in a week, right? Get some presents, get a haircut and shave that obnoxious thing off your face. It will be better once he gets to hold you in his arms again”.

 

            “Fred- I don’t know.”

 

            Freddie feels his patience running thin, already strung too tight, feeling like he did a month’s work in the last week.

 

            “Brian, truly. It’s not such a good idea to push him at the moment, he is stressed enough as it is already.”

 

            Brian stops playing with his beard on the screen, eyes suddenly too focused on Freddie’s tired face.

 

            “Wait, what do you mean?”

 

            “I mean… school and work has been shitty lately,” _fuck_ , seriously, Roger owes him the position of Godfather for all his future children for this.

 

            “Go, do whatever you genius’s do to win Nobel prizes or whatever, me and John will hold down the fort till you’re here, I promise.”

 

            He throws his phone on a stack of sweaters and hits his head to the counter, cursing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

            Brian is due to be back in less than two hours and there is no way to categorize what Roger has been doing as anything other than nesting. Freddie thought that this wouldn’t happen until the third trimester, then again, he would never claim to be an expert in omega physiology. Roger has shown some erratic behavior recently, like braiding their hairs in extremely complicated styles he learned for his little sister and assuring that they kept scarves and gloves with them at all time. John and Veronica are quite amused by it but more than anything it makes Freddie feel extra protective, though he is not Roger’s alpha and would never pretend to be unless in the direst of circumstances, but he can’t help but fret over in Brian’s place.

 

            For example, it’s just disconcerting that Roger is vacuuming over the same place for more than five minutes now. Everything is in its perfect place and spotless clean already, besides the little nest made from Brian’s clothes and pillows and even some of their stuff thrown in there on the couch. Freddie would bet his piano that Roger has another one in the bedroom, but he would never look in uninvited. It’s actually quite funny how long Roger has managed to keep this from them, considering that he should have known, at least suspected for good 2 months before Freddie knew anything. But now that it’s all out in the open, he has taken all of their scarves to the couch without asking for permission whatsoever the moment they came through the door. Veronica, who has been with them nearly as long as John has been but not a part of the band feels especially touched by that, hugging him to her until Roger swats her arms away for her to let go.

 

            Eventually, they convince Roger to sit down, which means John and Veronica have to hold him down at the arms while watching the newest Fast and Furious movie, while Freddie plays the housekeeper and runs up to fix anything that worries Roger. It’s just hormones, Freddie thinks, it will be Brian’s problem after today and Freddie can finally sleep in for once. At least he is not puking his guts out and crying on Freddie’s shoulder at the same time. Freddie looks up from the floor, where he is sprawled on the carpet now after a double shift and cooking dinner to the three sitting on the couch. It’s just their luck that the movie on the screen is about a kidnapped baby, seriously they just decided on it because Roger loved luxury cars but now he is crying again because the baby smiles at the bald man trying to kidnap him back… what the hell are they even watching? Sitting squished between two people who are always like magnets trying to be as close to each other as possible, Roger looks small, but also his bump has become much more apparent in the last two weeks, finally firmly in the second trimester of his pregnancy and showing, no matter what he is wearing. He is wearing one of Brian’s long button-ups, Freddie has upped the temperature by a few good degrees since he pseudo moved in, thinking that they can join into the bill if necessary.

 

One of his arms is tangled with Ronnie’s, both of their hands holding the bump absentmindedly and rubbing little circles as they ear popcorn and coo over the movie baby. Freddie swears John watches their hands more than he is watching the movie, transfixed.

 

            They are entirely too young to just start popping babies left and right, give him a fucking break.

 

* * *

 

 

            Brian comes in close to midnight, the scrabble board completely abandoned the moment they hear the key being inserted to the lock. He has refused being picked up from the airport, probably following Freddie’s constant talks about how tired they all are recently to prove Roger isn’t disinterested or trying to break up with him. There have been talks of an ongoing flu endemic followed by fake coughs at one point that he really isn’t proud of.  

 

            Freddie gives a hand to Roger as he gets up from the floor, not that he really needs it yet, but he imagines his friend will appreciate the support. He is not really wrong as Roger kind of hides his body behind Freddie’s, face peeking over his shoulder. Brian finally opens the door, and Freddie is so happy to see him at last but also kind of worried because he can feel Roger shaking like a leaf in the wind at his back.

 

            There is a bit of an awkward moment where no one really does anything, it would be even weirder if they just went ahead and hugged Brian first when Roger is in the room. And really, Freddie is half sure it’s not nerves but excitement making Roger feel like this. His friend is filled to brim with hormones, there is no way he doesn’t want to jump Brian’s bones this very second.

 

            Brian is obviously expecting Roger to jump him as well, or at least jump up to hug him because he is known to do that. Roger can jump ridiculously high for his height, Freddie has seen him do it maybe a dozen times since their first acquaintance now nearly 3 years ago, and he and Brian knew each other before that. Roger always jumps up to Brian whenever they haven’t been able to see each other for a while, arms around his neck, getting momentum from the shoulders and bringing his legs around Brian’s ass so the alpha can hold him tight. For someone who is generally against gender conventions and pushing the boundaries of his status in the society as an omega, he is very unapologetic about it as well, though he will go back to cursing Brian and ordering him around to get drinks or change the chords, getting many disapproving glances from the older generation if they are in public.

 

            Freddie gets a bit distracted thinking about his antics and misses the moment Roger eventually drags himself out of the corner where he put himself between the wall and himself, naturally glowing in the middle of the room, the cheap white fluorescent lighting and the white shirt making him glow like an angel.

 

            There is no sound in the room, Veronica is holding her hand to John’s mouth, though it’s probably to stop herself from speaking. Then with a loud thump, Brian drops his backpack, Macbook and all, to the floor.

 

            Brian’s eyes are zoomed on Roger’s middle, there are no words spoken but from the corner where they are standing Freddie can see the tears starting to run down Brian’s eyes. He finally lets out a wet laugh. Roger shuffles closer, takes one of his hands in his and puts it on his belly.

 

            They are intruding in a very special and private moment, Freddie knows. But he can’t help but be completely transfixed.

 

            Realizing that Roger is fidgeting Brian lets go, making Roger frown. He gets rids of the jacket and takes Roger’s hand again, dragging him to the couch. Brian sits down carefully arranging his legs and opens up his arms. Roger crawls on him instantly but carefully. Brian laughs as Roger puts both arms around his shoulders, his center of balance totally shifted in the last couple of weeks. He steadies Roger so he can sit on his legs comfortably, Roger’s arms go back to his nape, starts playing with the curly hairs there.

 

            They are just looking at each other, smiling.

 

            Brian puts one arm securely behind his back, the other goes to Roger’s middle again, his tired expression now turned into one of total bliss.

 

            Roger’s head eventually falls to his neck, as if he can’t help it. He probably can’t, letting the instincts take over.

 

            Freddie feels himself melting at the sight, his friends so happy and in love and expecting.

 

            Roger starts nuzzling and Freddie is sure he is hearing some purring sounds coming from their direction mixed in with the crying, but then Veronica pinches him on his side, waking him up with a yelp which the couple doesn’t notice. 

 

            They get the hell out of there to grab a drink.

 

            He steals the charger on his way out and really they can’t blame him because he will need to save lots of money for baby stuff and it’s totally their fault.


End file.
